Testing times?

Every month or so I have a play with Mr Google and see if my name crops up anywhere interesting. Yesterday I found it here.This was a competition I entered but then forgot about.

The remit was to write about an exam and I recounted a true tale.

I'm reproducing it here, simply because I can't think of anything else to offer you today! I have a feeling I've posted about this before. But as I can't remember, I don't care!

On-line communities are nothing new, and as well as being for the fun things in life they’re a great way for study support too. Five years ago I had my head down, studying for an accountancy qualification. The lead up to the final examination was a frenzy of rumour and remorse as the syllabus was pulled apart and students regretted their late nights on-line.

On the great day itself I planned to arrive early. Unfortunately the broken-down bus had other ideas and traffic stacked up like the odds against my arrival. With minutes to spare I rushed into the college. After an hour of driving and another of sitting in traffic, I needed a comfort break – fast! Once relieved, I took my place in the hall. I listened to the invigilator’s instructions, read the guidance notes and then focused on the exam paper. As I considered the merit of acid tests and ratios my mind wandered. The crunching of mints by the neighbouring candidate was shooting at my prose. The tiny sugar-coated sweets were being popped out of their plastic case and into her mouth at a faster rate than my accounts were being balanced.

Finally we both finished – my paper was complete and her box of treats was empty. Yes, the theory of double-entry is never far from even would-be accountants. As I retreated home, bashed but not yet beaten, I considered how my on-line study buddies had fared. I announced my safe return and couldn’t resist mentioning the battle of the mints. The tale was familiar to GammaGirl. She’d taken her favourite mints along for comfort and spent the exam listening to the tuts of the sour-puss next door. Yes, the world’s a small place – especially in the exam room. And the result? We both passed!